§ 6 and 7. Mr. C. Hughesasked the Under-Secretary of State for Air (1) the value of the services rendered by the Post Office to his Department for which no cash payment is made;
(2) how many telephones are provided by the Post Office for his Department for which no cash payment is made.
§ Mr. BirchThe estimated values of the services rendered during 1951–52 by the Post Office to the Air Ministry without cash payment are: telephone services (including teleprinter network) £4,265,000; telegraph services £17,050.
I regret that it is impossible, without undue labour, to find out how many telephones are provided by the Post Office for the Air Ministry without financial recovery.
§ Major W. J. Anstruther-GrayDoes that include telephone conversations overseas?
§ Mr. Godfrey NicholsonCan my hon. Friend say how these figures are arrived at, if a careful account is not kept of all the calls made?
§ Mr. BirchThe hon. Member will see that the vast bulk of this money is for the radar reporting network and not for ordinary calls. I think that the question of how the Post Office arrive at the exact figure should be addressed to the Assistant Postmaster-General and not to myself.